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Should the Titans trade for a potential Hall of Famer at a position of need?

If only it were that simple.

Antonio Brown is a distraction, which is why the Pittsburgh Steelers appear poised to deal their seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. A couple of months after being deactivated for the season finale because of missed team activities, Brown this past weekend called out quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, coach Mike Tomlin and the organization itself on Twitter. A recent post on Brown's Twitter account explained he and owner Art Rooney II agreed "it's time to move on."

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1997: Kenny Holmes (No. 18 overall) Defensive End, Miami (Fla.) Holmes was selected to the Tennessee Oilers in the first season of transition from Houston to Nashville and made an immediate impact with seven sacks in his rookie as a rotational lineman. Holmes played four solid seasons in Tennessee before moving on to the New York Giants. Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

1998: Kevin Dyson (No. 16 overall) Wide Receiver, Utah Forever the final, and most important, piece of the Music City Miracle, Dyson had an otherwise up and down career. Dyson had an 825-yard season in 2001, his best as a Titan. Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

1999: Jevon Kearse (No. 16 overall) Defensive End, Florida The Freak. Kearse had his 14.5-sack season in 1999, one of the best rookie efforts in NFL history. After two more double-digit seasons, Kearse finished out his first stint with the Titans and signed with Philly. And don't forget that The Freak returned in 2008. K.T. Warnke / News-Press / AP Photo

2000: Keith Bulluck (No. 16 overall) Linebacker, Syracuse Bulluck is one of the best first-round selections in Titans and Oilers history. Three-time All-Pro, five straight seasons of at least 125 total tackles and excellent leadership are only some of the things Bulluck brought to the franchise in his 10 seasons. Sam Parrish / The Tennessean

2002 Albert Haynesworth (No. 15 overall) Defensive Tackle, Tennessee Haynesworth is remembered for a couple of irksome reasons. First, his stomping of Dallas center Andre Gurode earned Haynesowrth a five-game suspension. It was the second multi-game suspension an on-field incident for only the second time in NFL history. Also, he earned a seven-year, $100 million deal from Washington, a contract that looks bloated even now. Wade Payne /AP Photo

2003: Andre Woolfolk (No. 28 overall) Defensive Back, Oklahoma
Woolfolk was a major disappointment and the worst of the bunch. He started 12 games in four seasons, caught three interceptions (all from David Carr) and was out of the league after 2006. George Walker IV / The Tennessean

2005: Adam Jones (No. 6 overall)
Defensive Back, West Virginia
A solid rookie season, a good second season, and a year-long suspension marked the three years of "Pacman" in Nashville. Jones had four punt-return TDs in two seasons and just started to bloom as a corner when he was suspended for the 2007 season. By 2008, he was in Dallas. John Russell / AP Photo

2008: Chris Johnson (No. 24 overall)
Running Back, East Carolina
In six seasons with the Titans, Johnson ran for more than 1,000 yards in each. Johnson has four 10+ TD seasons, a 2,000-yard season and a heavy workload. Is he the best Titans RB ever? Mark Humphrey / AP Photo

2014: Taylor Lewan (No. 11 overall)
Offensive Lineman, Michigan
Lewan has become an important offensive leader on the Titans and a consistent presence in the Pro Bowl the past three seasons. And he will be with the Titans for the next four years after signing an extension during training camp in July. Craig Ruttle / AP Photo

2017: Adoree' Jackson (No. 18 overall) Defensive Back, USC Jackson played both sides of the ball in college but has been a really good cover corner in two seasons with the Titans. Bill Streicher / USA TODAY Sports

2018: Rashaan Evans (No. 22 overall) Linebacker, Alabama Titans fans had to be excited by the way Evans played in the second half of the season. After injuries forced him to sit during a large portion of the preseason, he settled in by Week 7 as an excellent run-stopping linebacker. Tim Heitman / USA TODAY Sports

There’s also elite talent at a position where the Titans are in the market for a veteran addition. The 30-year-old wide receiver has notched six straight 1,200-plus-yard seasons with eight or more touchdowns in each of those years. He demands double-teaming; he beats double-teaming; and he gets his teammates more opportunities across the field. He’d be the most talented weapon that Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota ever has had at his disposal by a significant margin.

Imagine Brown lining up alongside wide receiver Corey Davis and tight end Delanie Walker, with running backs Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis in the backfield? An offense that sputtered for much of 2018 suddenly would appear much more dangerous.

The question in potentially trying to trade for Brown comes down to cost – how much the Titans would have to give up, how much he'd run them back financially, how much of a disruption he would be in the locker room.

Brown’s price tag isn’t crushing; most teams in the league could afford him. A potential trade partner would owe him $36.4 million over the final three years of a four-year, $68 million deal he signed with the Steelers in February 2017. The Titans have nearly $42 million in cap space heading into 2019, 11th-most in the league.

If a trade happens after March 17, Brown would cost his new team $12.6 million in 2019. If he’s traded before that time, the Steelers would not have to pay Brown a roster bonus, leaving his new employer to pay him $14.1 million.

Not too steep for a generational talent like Brown.

Then there’s what the Steelers would seek in return. NFL Network reported Brown could draw a second-round pick, and ESPN reported Brown would command a second- or third-round pick. The Titans have all of their 2019 draft picks except their sixth-rounder, which they dealt to Baltimore for Kamalei Correa in 2018.

But is Brown worth the potential headache? Through a tumultuous, consistently wild 2018 season, there was a level-headedness that prevailed in the Titans locker room. It was a strength that should not be taken for granted, especially when peering over at a rival like the Jaguars, whose messy locker room situation contributed to the team’s unraveling in 2018.

After the coach tell the team I quit while nursing some bumps then invite me to watch the show with same guys thinking I quit i can not stand with that! I’m the bad guy doe we miss post season think about it https://t.co/imrJ8jnnBc

No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truthhttps://t.co/MsSyBVd3Ny

Brown would throw a serious wrench into that mix, and coach Mike Vrabel and general manager Jon Robinson would have to weigh that against adding an incomparable talent to their receiving corps.

But nearly every other team in the league should have intrigue in Brown, and some destinations appear to be much better landing spots in a trade. The Colts, Jets and 49ers all have much more cap space. The Raiders and Packers have more draft capital to part with in the upcoming 2019 draft in Nashville. The Patriots have developed a reputation for taking in talented distractions and getting the most out of them.

But if you’re Robinson – or any of the 31 other general managers in the league, for that matter – it seems to be worth a phone call at the very least.

Reach Erik Bacharach at ebacharach@tennessean.com and on Twitter @ErikBacharach.